Means and method of removing barbs and down from the stems of feathers



Sept. 26, 1939. w. H. EDMISTER 2,173,935

MEANS AND METHOD OF REMOVING BARBS AND DOWN FRQM THE STEMS OF FEATHERSFiled April 6, 1938 INVENTOR.

. BY Warren H. Edm/sfer- ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 26, 1939 UNITED STATES MEANS AND METHOD OF REMOVING BARBSAND DOWN FROM THESTEMS OF FEATHERS Warren H. Edmister, San Diego, Calif.Application April 6, 1938, Serial No. 200,503

10 Claims.

My invention relates to a means and method of removing barbs and downfrom the stem of feathers and the objects of my invention are:

First, to provide a means of cutting and tearing all of the barbs anddown from the stems of feathers;

Second, to provide such a means that at the same time as it is out andtorn will separate the down and barbs from the stem;

Third, to provide a means of this class in which the barbs and down areplaced in one receptacle and the stems are left in another receptacle;

Fourth, to provide a means of this class in which all of the barbs anddown are taken from the stems of the feathers and segregated by the samemeans;

Fifth, to provide a novel method of removing barbs and down from thestem of feathers;

Sixth, to provide a novel method of separating the barbs and down fromthe stems; and

Seventh, to provide a means and method of this class which is verysimple and economical of operation and efiicient in its action.

Eighth, to provide a means of this class which is very simple andeconomical of construction, efficient in its action and which will notreadily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other objects in view as will appear hereinafter, myinvention consists of the certain novel construction, combination, andarrangement of parts and portions and the novel method as will behereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in theappended claims, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing and tothe characters of reference thereon which form a part of thisapplication in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my means of removing barbsand down from the stems of feathers showing some of the parts inelevation to facilitate the illustration; Fig. 2 is a transversesectional view taken from the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is anothertransverse sectional view taken from the line 33 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4is an enlarged sectional view of a fragmentary portion of the lower sideof the feather receptacle as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing and showingcertain portions in elevation to facilitate the illustration.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portionsthroughout the several views of the drawing:

The sand conducting tube I, air conducting tube 2, feather receptacle 3,screen 4, and bag 5 con stitute the principal parts and portions of mymeans of removing barbs and down from the stems of feathers and alsoshows the apparatus used in my method of removing barbs and down fromthe feathers.

The sand tube I and air tube 2 form the parts of a conventional air sandblast, the sand tube I extending to a hopper or other supply of sandwhile the tube 2 extends to and connects with air under pressure, eithera pressure tank or a pump, as desired.

The extended end of the tube 2 extends into a receptacle 3 substantiallyat the center of the receptacle at one end at 2a and this portion 2a isslightly belled at the end so as to provide a scattering of the air andsand as it leaves the end 2a. It will be noted that this end extends aslight distance into the receptacle 3 at the center thereof as shown inFig. l of the drawing. This receptacle 3 is preferably made of metal andis cylindrical in form andclosed at one end at 3ainto which the member 2extends and is secured thereto. The other end of the receptacle is openand is provided with an enlarged turned portion 3b at the edge. It willbe noted that thisreceptacle 3 gradually enlarges and is preferablypositioned on an angle to the horizontal as shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawing. This receptacle is provided near its lower side with a doormember 30 by means of hinge member 301. with a ring member 3e tofacilitate the opening and closing of said door. This is for the purposeof admitting feathers to the receptacle and also for removing the stemsof the feathers after the barbs and down have been removed therefrom.

Mounted over the open end of the receptacle 3 and extending over theenlarged portion 3b is a screen 4 which is of the proper mesh to thefeather stems from passing through but permit the barbs and down andsand to pass therethrough, the sand in its blast carrying the down andbarbs through the screen. This screen is secured on the receptacle 3 bymeans of a band 3 which extends around the receptacle adjacent theenlarged portion 312. This band, however, is positioned on the outsideof the open end of a bag 5 which is made of fabric, such as the like,which permits the air to' pass through, but will hold the sand and barbsand down. This bag 5 may be of any suitable size for holding a largeamount of the down and barbs and sand and with the open end adapted tofit snugly around the larger open end of the receptacle 3 and secured bythe band 3 in position.

The operation of my means and method is as follows:

The feathers to be treated are placed in the reexclude gunny sack orceptacle 3 through the door 30 or otherwise, then a sand blast is turnedonto the feathers which spreads and passes through the feathers tearingand cutting the barbs and down from the stem and carrying them throughthe screen 4 into the bag 5 and leaving the stems in the receptacle 3.Then the bag is removed and the barbs, down and sand are removedtherefrom. Then the door 30 is opened and the stems removed from thereceptacle 3. Then more feathers are placed in the receptacle 3 and thebag replaced and the steps repeated as before set forth. The sand iseasily removed from the barbs and down by the use of a fan ofconventional type.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction,combination, and arrangement of parts and portions and described acertain method, I do not wish to be limited to the particularconstruction, combination and arrange ment, nor to the particularmethod, but desire to include in the scope of my invention theconstruction, combination and arrangement and process substantially asset forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a means for removing barbs and down from the stems of feathers,the combination with a sand blast, of a feather receptacle into whichthe nozzle of said sand blast extends at one side, a screen over theopposite side and a forarninous receptacle in communication with saidscreen.

2. In a means for removing barbs and down from the stems of feathers,the combination with a sand blast, of a feather receptacle into whichthe nozzle of said sand blast extends at one side, a screen over theopposite side, and a perforate bag positioned over said receptacle atthe screen end.

3. In a means for removing barbs and down from the stems of feathers,the combination with a sand blast, of a feather receptacle into whichthe nozzle of said sand blast extends at one side, a screen over theopposite side, a perforate bag positioned over said receptacle at thescreen end, and means for readily securing said bag thereon.

4. In a means for removing barbs and down from the stems of feathers,the combination with a sand blast nozzle, of a bucket-like receptaclewith a closed end and open end, the closed end connecting with saidnozzle at its middle, said nozzle extending some distance into saidreceptacle, a screen mounted over the open end thereof and anotherreceptacle in communication with said screen.

5. In a means for removing barbs and down from the stems of feathers,the combination with a sand blast nozzle, of a bucket-like receptaclewith a closed end and open end, the closed end connecting with saidnozzle at its middle, said nozzle extending some distance into saidreceptacle, a screen mounted over the open end thereof, a door in oneside of said receptacle and another receptacle in communication withsaid screen.

6. In a means of removing barbs and down from the stems of feathers, thecombination with a sand blast nozzle, of a bucket-like receptacle with aclosed end and open end, the closed and connecting with said nozzle atits middle, said nozzle extending some distance into said receptacle, ascreen mounted over the open end thereof, a door in one side of saidreceptacle, and a foraminous bag mounted over the open end of saidreceptacle and said screen.

7. In a means of removing barbs and down from the stems of feathers, thecombination with a sand blast nozzle, of a bucket-like receptacle with aclosed end and open end, the closed end connecting with said nozzle atits middle, said nozzle extending some distance into said receptacle, ascreen mounted over the open end thereof, a door in one side of saidreceptacle, a foraminous bag mounted over the open end of saidreceptacle and said screen, and means for readily securing said bag overthe open end of said receptacle and screen.

8. The herein described method of removing barbs and down from the stemsof feathers, consisting in placing said feathers in a receptacle with aforaminated end, then introducing a blast of sand and into saidfeathers, then catching said barbs and down in a receptacle.

9. The herein described method of removing barbs and down from the stemsof feathers, consisting in placing said feathers in a receptacle with aforaminated end, then introducing a blast of sand into said feathers,then catching the barbs and down and sand in a bag-like foraminousreceptacle.

10. The herein described method of removing barbs and down from thestems of feathers, consisting in placing said feathers in a receptaclewith a foraminated end, then introducing a blast of sand into saidfeathers, then catching the barbs and down and sand in a bag-likeforaminous receptacle, then removing the stems from said featherreceptacle and the down and stems from said bag-like receptacle.

WARREN H. EDMISTER.

